Welcome to the AC Tropical Fish aquarium forum. Our aquarium forum is the place to discuss any aquarium related issue in a friendly environment. Our aquarium forum welcomes aquarists of all levels from beginners to experts. Please ask a question in the how to section of our forum or read the FAQ section if you have any questions. register to and become a part of our friendly aquarium forum community today.

Cycled means having bacteria that eat ammonia and nitrite growing on your filter media (the spongy stuff). Otherwise, the waste from fish adds up very quickly to toxic levels.

Old water is never a good thing. :)

And even with cycled tanks, we do water changes to remove nitrate (the by product of bacteria) and other bad stuff.

I'm very glad you have a heater, I must have missed that line. Also, we aren't all American, all are welcome. :)

There are anti-intestinal parasite foods out there to try. Also, sometimes their bellies bulge from constipation...either way, a pea shelled and cut to bits is good for them every once and a while...cleans out the system. If the water stays pristine clean, then the ulcer should go away.

If you don't care about the snails, a bit of aquarium salt in the water may help the betta heal, but will hurt the snails.

20 gallon with a male betta, neons, glowlights, and red cherry shrimp. (work in progess) Recently added a few LIVE plants and driftwood, Woooohoooo!

Just looked at the pic...definitely try feeding him the pea (avoid canned peas, too much salt).

And likely he does have parasites.

Bettas can live longer than 2-3 years if kept in the right conditions.

If you washed the filter in straight tap water, the chlorine killed all the good bacteria that had built up, and that means you need to check for ammonia and nitrite build up. Anything over .25ppm is *very* bad.

20 gallon with a male betta, neons, glowlights, and red cherry shrimp. (work in progess) Recently added a few LIVE plants and driftwood, Woooohoooo!

Oki doki, the tests at the pet store showed too much ammonia a few days ago but I have been doing several water changes since then. I did what you said ( massive water change) and cut his pimafix and melafix in half.he has bee hanging around the lower tank today, and racing to the top for air, strange behaviour and I know from a previous post that's not a good sign. I will give him peas,help me here.....do i cook them? silly question I know but who would have thought they eat peas at all? I did another big water change today, bought one of those suction thingys to vacuum from under the rocks, Boomer....still not a happy fishy, worried about his lack of activity, turned up the tank one degree ( it think he liiked it)...ditched the old heater, bought a new one ...how can I get good bacteria back in the tank and will the peas cure internal parasites? It looks like this long wormy thing is gone..wonder if the colloidal silver helped kill it......if he is looking better overall ( i mean his visible condition)....why he he falling to the bottom of the tank>>>>......even caught him nose down, which is a change from his nose pointing upwards the last week.This sounds silly but worrying about the fish has kept me awake this week *sigh* it's as bad as the dog or a child being sick.... thanks again guys.

Also, when I said he's looking a bit better overall, I meant his scales dont look as shabby as yesterday, all other signs are negative.....this ulcer thing he has under his mouth? appears to be making an infectious type hole...like eating away. Just checked the cupboard, no peas....have to get them in the morn before work and hope he is still alive then :( Ta

Hmmm...ok sounding more like bacterial infection. I did some research for you and the poop thing can be caused by bacteria too. A pea will still do him good...if fresh/frozen, just thaw and chop up into little bits, then serve.

The temperature should be about 27 degrees C or over, so raise it a degree and hour as needed.

Add aquarium salt (though it will harm the snails, you can get more...they are common pests and are adding to the bioload).

And keep up on the water changes. Your good bacteria will eventually regrow, but until then his water needs to be pristine if he has hope.

I've never used melafix or pimafix, and the reports on its effectiveness are varied, but those won't hurt him with the salt.

20 gallon with a male betta, neons, glowlights, and red cherry shrimp. (work in progess) Recently added a few LIVE plants and driftwood, Woooohoooo!

Ok, decided to take the night off work and get this tank change done because I have to work day and evenings for the next seven days and if I don't do it ow, it's not going to get done!

I need to know how much salt per litre.......and should it be rock salt? Also, noticed that since the other long white stringy thing fell off he has a new one that has appeared since this morning, really really looking like the parasite thing I saw on the pic of the gold fish I posted in the link of a previous post so I am hoping this tank change with salted water will save him????? I tried feeding him peas, he wont eat them simply because he's busy hanging around the surface of the water for constant air and the peas sink straight to the bottom.